Fatypus DSender Review

[ggski]

Ski - 07/08 Fatypus DSender big mountain stick

Dimensions...144/112/130 184cm (2cm actual length longer than 185
Nordica Enforcer)

Construction...vertical laminate core, rockwell edges (wide and
hard), durasurf base, abs sidewalls

Flex...uniformly stiff throughout, very solid underfoot, 6-8 on Marshal's scale
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=41028

Mount...whenever possible , boot center w/demo 912's

Conditions...Typical Colorado spring day at Breck. Bulletproof groomers which
turned into sweet corn then slush, creamy windbuff mmmm...,
rock hard bumps, chalky grippy bumps, soft slushy bumps, blown
in pow, frozen mank, boot deep soft mank with slight skin on top,
you get the idea...a bit of everything

Me...6'1" 190 grew up in Vt, raced a bit, like round turns, live for high speed
crud and pow skiing (seems high speed to me, probably a crawl
compared to some of the mags), not big on straightlines (not a
fan of Goseying) or hucks (bad back), will butter if necessary but,
prefer the carvy feel, like my skis damp and stable, current everyday
skis 185 Nodrica Enforcers, other favorite skis - Nordica 105's, 06/07 Big Daddies, Head Im 88's for the
frontside.

My purpose in demoing the DSenders was to see if they would make a good everyday ski to replace my Enforcers for next year. In general I have been happy with the Enforcers but, not overwhelmed. They are easy to engage, quick edge to edge for a 98 waist, the two layers of metal give them pretty good stability and edgehold and they handle variable conditions pretty well. I do have a few gripes about the Nordy's. The tip is way too soft. It floats great but, when the snow is hard or the crud is heavy the tip starts flapping. They ski short for their length. I dislike the sharp turn up in the tail...I can feel it snag in turns and sometimes on traverses or climbing around in tight spots. The Nordys also have a bit too much shape for my taste. Because of this they prefer short turns to long and the tip likes to hook up when it should not on occasion.

Overview of the DSender - I am a bit of a gear junkie and I have skied a bunch of all mountain/big mountain skis in the last year...Gotamas, Seths, Monster 103s, Supermojo 103s, Mantras, Blowers, B Squads, Sugar Daddys, Porohetes. I like some things about each of these skis and did not like some things about each. What I really like best about the DSender was that there was nothing I did not like. The D Sender does a lot of things really well. I would not say it is better than every ski out there at any one thing but, it is very, very good at pretty much everything.
The DSender was very solid and grippy when the snow was hard. It carves a sweet round arc whether you are ripping groomers or negotiating mank or windbuff. It is quick enough to negotiate some deep tight slush bumps and strong enough to just blast through them. In the bits of pow I skied it seems to have excellent float...yup, I really liked this ski. Are there better straightlining skis...sure; better hucking skis...sure (not that I would know from experience since I am the ultimate white guy skier); skis that are more stable going mach looney through frozen chicken heads...sure...BUT, I have yet to find a ski that does so many things really well especially for my style (or lack thereof) and needs for an everyday ski.

Best qualities:
1. Versatility
2. Stabliity
3. BIG sweet spot - super easy to stay in the middle of the ski
4. Round turns...especially medium to long
5. Bomber construction - fat edges, tough bases and strong sidewalls

Bad Qualities:
1. 112 under foot took some getting used to on the firm stuff...note to self - stay off firm stuff
2. Have to answer a lot of chairlift questions about waterskis and where is the powder...

[Deep Days]

Awesome review... Not that I'm at all interested in any more 110+ waisted skis, but I do like the format. Lots of good input.

Thanks for sharing. Glad you like them! With a 112 waist for everyday, you can start calling yourself The Former Z (who now likes 777s, I hear through the grapevine ).

[ggski]

Awesome review... Not that I'm at all interested in any more 110+ waisted skis, but I do like the format. Lots of good input.

Thanks for sharing. Glad you like them! With a 112 waist for everyday, you can start calling yourself The Former Z (who now likes 777s, I hear through the grapevine ).

Care to flesh out the "Former Z" reference...I am Alicia Silverstone on that one?

[ggski]

Almost forgot...these definitely ski longer than 184

[Krash]

Good review. I have skied them as well and thought they skied everything well. And they do have a long running length for a 184, as do all ther skis due to the stubby tip profile. I ski 191 Goliaths for my everyday ski, and the DSender felt almost as solid. I could see having a pair, a very ripping ski.

[Burrrr]

Good review GG. I just ordered the Dsenders and picking them up in Breck on Friday. I am a smaller skier, 5'9 160 pounds, but never have had a problem throwing around big sticks. I have spent the last year on a pair of 183 Gotamas and the always seemed soft and short to me. I was previously on some 183 monsters 103 (which the ski snapped at the binding toe). Head replaced them with the SuperMOJO 183. I loved the way the 103 monsters and supermojos skied, Fast and Stiff. Can you compare the Dsenders to the 103s? How would you mount the Dsenders?

[ggski]

Interesting...I had Monster 103's which delammed after 8 days and Head replaced them with Supermojo's which I skied in 05/06. Mooseknuckle is riding them as we speak.
IMHO the SM was one of the best bad snow (crud, mank, refrozen glop) free skis ever. Hoiwever, they had a pretty small sweet spot...if you got forward or back you would soon be seeing your ass passing your ears on the way to crashville.
They also did not float particularly well in pow and would not even think about turning until you broke 30mph.
The DSenders are a shade softer and have a bit more shape which makes them a lot friendlier and much more versatile without giving up hardly any of the crud busting/high speed maching power.
I found it really easy to find and stay in the sweet spot on the DSenders and could make pretty much any shape turn at any speed. They definitely prefer to to go fast and make big turns but, it is your choice. In the pow and windskin they have way more float and zero dive...21 extra mm of tip makes a big difference.
To me the SM was awesome at a couple of things and OK/marginal at everything else...the DSenders are really good at pretty much everything.
I have only ridden the DSenders right on boot center...and it seemed right on to me.

[oftpiste]

You probably know this already , but a good chunk of your review is already on the Faty-pus website.

[ggski]

I did not know that...thanks for the heads up

[Long duc dong]

Thanks for posting that. The d-senders are a size and shape that interests me, so I am happy to hear some actual on snow feedback about them.

[ggski]

Thanks for posting that. The d-senders are a size and shape that interests me, so I am happy to hear some actual on snow feedback about them.

Give me a shout if you want more info...

[Burrrr]

Thanks for the response GG. I will get a day or two on the Dsenders this weekend. We plan on hitting Margies and perhaps Chihuahua. Skied the professor a few times on Saturday and the snow was butter. I expect the same for Chihuahua, I hear Margies is a little blown. None the less, variable. I will get back to the thread with my perspective.

I hear about the 103s delaminating and snapping at the binding toe often. Head was great with replacing them with the SM, very timely. I also ride a pair of Mojo 90s for the resort days. I have nothing but props for Head.

[ggski]

Thanks for the response GG. I will get a day or two on the Dsenders this weekend. We plan on hitting Margies and perhaps Chihuahua. Skied the professor a few times on Saturday and the snow was butter. I expect the same for Chihuahua, I hear Margies is a little blown. None the less, variable. I will get back to the thread with my perspective.

I hear about the 103s delaminating and snapping at the binding toe often. Head was great with replacing them with the SM, very timely. I also ride a pair of Mojo 90s for the resort days. I have nothing but props for Head.

Couldn't agree more about the Heads. They struggled with manufacturing issues with the 103's but, I have always loved the way they ski...super stable, damp and tons o' pop. They also stand up to lots of hard skiing as well...edges and bases seem to laugh at rocks.
Looking forward to hearing your impressions of the D Sender after this weekend. BTW found some unreal creamy corn inbounds at Copper today and spent many laps harvesting...mmmmm.

[growup&ski]

first of all great review, most review just give you a this ski is great, making it almost sound like its just someone within the company, even if you are at least you gave info and all that, so i'm on the fence between the 09 rossi steeze(s6 koopman) or the dsender, have any of you skied on both or can help me, im a little nervous of rossi's thc2 core, but also i've never skied on a fatypus so that makes me a little warry... help please

[gravitybud]

Thanks for this review- sound great.

QUESTIONS:

1. I'm considering the 184cm D Sender. Is it too stiff a ski for me? Reviews have said it's like a torpedo thru crud- that's wicked cool, but how stiff do they feel when skiing? (relative to other skis in this category) Skiing crud, would you say it's brutally stiff ... or relatively user friendly?

2. Short turns... Do they take lots of muscle and energy to coax into quick turns? (relative to other skis in this category)

I'm 145 lbs, 5' 8", been skiing for 45 years (grew up in Stowe), 9+ skier. Live in Vail, but live for steeps in Jackson/Alta/Silverton etc. I ski aggresively but more on the finesse side than power side. If it helps to see my how I ski, go to this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/EricPpho...47059248592866 I love the 175cm Head Monster 88, and '08 Gotamas 183cm. I'd like a ski with a higher speed limit and a little more float... but if possible quick enough for short turns. Hate Mantras. Skied 184cm in windblown breakable slab and couldn't bend and arc- had to use too much muscle. Felt like 2x4 planks in those conditions.

Thanks a lot for your insights!

... so cool they're made in Colorado!

__________________

[ggski]

Bud,
First off...yo to a another expat Vermonter! I grew up skiing MRG and the Bush...lot of friends still with Bush passes.
If you like the flex of the Monster 88 you should be fine with the D Sender. It is not in the Supermojo, Squad stiffness category...probably a click or two down the Marshal scale. Torsionally it is quite stiff which is what gives it the crud busting power but, fore to aft it is quite manageable. Also, if you are getting the 09 D Sender as opposed to the 08, the 09 is slightly softer at the very tip which gives it more float and a slightly more forgiving all around feel.
The D Sender has more shape and a tighter radius (24ish) than most burly big mountain sticks which means tight turns are quite reasonable for a ski of this size. No need to force them...just tip em and ride em...more surfing than swiveling.
Hope this helps.
geoff

[gravitybud]

Thanks ggski,

I'm going to pick some up on Tuesday! Sounds like the ticket.

I've had the same experience as you- all the skis I've been on over the years have been great in some areas, but wanting in others. Some oversteer and have too much spastic energy in schmank... some are dead or understeer and require too much steering energy. Some are 2x4s in bumps, others you get slapped in the face in crud over 30mph. Some are world cup Super G performers but groan when you tell them to get nimble in the narrow chute.

This balanced blend of strengths is what I want. If the ski doesn't have a major weakness, then that's all I can ask. The rest is up to me as a skier... to move down the hill with the skis no matter how steep it gets... and then a good ski does most of the work for me.

What if their advertisement is actually true... "the D-sender will actually help get you out of bed earlier on a pow day! ... Fatypus D-Sender... what a friggin FUN name too! I can't wait.

Way to show the big dogs how to do it Fatypus!

[ggski]

Lookin forward to a Faty-pus Posse this winter in Co!!

[otto parts]

Thanks also for the great review. Looking at the size and stiffness, seems more like a Katana than the Gotama you mentioned. Have you compared?

[gravitybud]

Just picked these 184 De-Senders up. Sweet!

Looks like a sturdy build. Cosmetics are striking when you see it. The flex seems like it has HUGE potential for fun. Hand flexing shows a nice even arc, progressively stiffer toward the mid section. For a frame of reference: slightly stiffer toward the middle than a Gotama, slightly softer at the tip and tail than the Gotama. Higher taper angle (relatively wider in the tip than the tail) than Gotama. I can't wait to experience 144mm in the tip!

Here's the Skiing Mag review:

BIG MOUNTAIN EXPERT:
The D-Sender drew the highest marks in two key areas: powder and crud performance. (Nothing came close for powder) PLUS: Skied like a torpedo in crud- the tip wouldn't deflect! Easy to maneuver into short turns. MINUS: Not much of a hardpack performer; several testers noticed the tails washed out under pressure. TESTER'S TAKE: "This ski makes me smile, something I rarely do!" Sven Brunso

Number of skis tested: 41 ... narrowed down to 22 Finalists: Gotama, Mantra, Stormrider Sct Schmt, P4, X-Wing Lab, Phantom SC108, Nordica Enforcer + Blower, Goliath Sluff, Goliath, Prophet 100, Mothership, Kastle MX 98, Supermojo 105, Watea 94, D-Sender, LP XXL, LP Rider, Blizzard Answer IQ, Black Diamond Zealot + Verdict, Atomic Pimp.

[otto parts]

Gravitybud, congrats on your new skis, might just get a pair as well.

Couldn't find the issue, what did they say about the Stockli Scot Schmidts?

[gravitybud]

Stockkli: Stable, powerful, tougher than D-Sender to do short turns on. DSender was slightly lower on hardpack, but a lot higher in powder.

[cmsummit]

Skis: 07/08 184 D-Senders that I bought from silverspoon (Thanks man!) mounted with Dukes at -1cm from the line.

Conditions: early season groomers at Breck, pretty fucking firm and shitty.

Me: 6'1" 170#. I mostly prefer fast and aggressive big turns, but can and will make any turn shape. Hell, I'll bump it up on my Praxis.

Disclaimer: I skied ukeskis' D-Senders (he's spancered) a few weeks ago and fell in love with them, so I bought a pair.

First off, I made the mistake of taking Springmeyer (slow skiing trail) down to the base of Peak 8 from the SuperConnect. WTF was I thinking? I made it through the first fortress of yellow jackets (not without some yells), but couldn't beat the radio signal and got pulled over at the 2nd battalion a couple hundred yards down. I explained to the slope cop that I was on these new, fandangled, fat skis that could only be turned at higher velocities. He didn't buy it and gave me a verbal warning. I told him he wouldn't be seeing me again.

For a ski that is 112mm underfoot, they are surprisingly nimble and quick at lower speeds, but really shine when you let them run a little. I managed to get in a couple of high speed groomers as the crowds thinned and was really impressed. They railed the hardpack at higher speeds and I thought they were almost as solid in longer turns as the Head Supermojos(103s) I once owned, but could see where the D-Senders are going to be way more versatile overall. They seemed to have a pretty big sweet-spot and felt more stable, the faster I skied. I can't wait to get these in some soft, wide-open conditions. For the West, I think these would make a great choice as a quiver of one.

Also, I love the Dukes. They feel so solid. My only other experience with tour-able bindings have been Fritschis, and I thought their performance inbounds, sucked. I've decided I'll sacrifice a little weight on the uphill for the performance I gain on the downhill. I sold the Fritschis.

[Kage]

This thread is really helpful in understanding skis today (as a former skier-turned boarder/telemarker I am a bit out of date).

I just bought my Brother a pair of Volkl Bridge '08 skis. They were a really good deal ($325 new) and I know his skis suck (he complains about them everytime... man that is getting old, but so his is lack of effort in changing his gear). Anything new and semi-fat would be an upgrade, but really it is all about finding good skis.

Anyway, the Bridge 08s are 185s and I think 92cm underfoot... He is an expert skier (5'11 and 175lbs, is used to using power rather than finesse) and only gets out a handful of times a year. Skis CO and UT only (lives in MD). He needs skis that will allow him to ski bumps, hold edges on hardpack, float in Pow (read: he does not dabble in the park, which is, come to find out, what this ski is 50% made for)... Vail/Snowbird/JHMR are his choice resorts if that helps. Oh and I also want him to have a good pair of skis when we do a cat trip this year to celebrate my 30th.

Advice? Any help greatly appreciated.

I did ask and can return the skis for my money, but really looking to spend no more than $500.

[mjskibum]

Got the 174 2010 D-Senders a couple weeks ago. Seeing as how its not ski season at the moment i don't really have a "Review" but i do have some close up pictures for those that are interested.